Don't Let Go
by samrenee2010
Summary: Mash Titanic themed AU: Mary is a privileged, tortured socialite, and Bash is a poor, penniless artist. After meeting upon the Titanic, the two spend what time they have together aboard the doomed ship and fight for their lives before and after tragedy strikes.
1. Chapter 1

"_MASH IS LIKE THE TITANIC. IT MAY SINK BUT IT WAS EPIC AND BEAUTIFUL AND WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN."_ – Carol

…

**CHAPTER 01.** – HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN IN THIS STORM?

_- MARY -_

_It's been eighty-four years…and I can still smell the fresh paint. The china had never been used. The sheets had never been slept in. Titanic was called 'The Ship of Dreams.' And it was… it really was._

.

The first time I laid my eyes upon Titanic… I wasn't impressed. Our car pulled up next to the dock and I was let out first, getting my first real look at 'The Ship of Dreams.' My fiancé, Francis Valois, followed me out. I turned and looked at him. "I don't see what all the fuss is about. It doesn't look any bigger than the Mauretania."

"You can be blasé about some things, Mary, but not about Titanic," Francis said. "It's over a hundred feet longer than Mauretania...and _far_ more luxurious."

I stopped listening at that point as I took a few steps forward, looking at my surroundings. This ship was taking me back home to America. It wasn't where I wanted to be. I didn't want to be engaged to Francis Valois, but ever since my father ran off, our wealth was gone. My mother, Marie, was too much of a gold digging tramp to see I didn't want this. She wanted it more for herself. Maybe _she_ should marry Francis.

I followed my mother aboard the ship just moments later and we made our way to our suites. As soon as my bags arrived, I started decorating. I had a collection of art work coming with me that just had to be hung up. I loved art. I appreciated it. Francis, not so much. The difference was I actually had some taste in it.

The day after we set sail, we stopped in Ireland to make a pickup of new passengers. One of them was Catherine Medici, a socialite from America, whom Mother referred to as 'new money.' …whatever _that_ meant. New money, old money? Wasn't it all the same?

By the end of the day we were setting sail for America. It would be a few days, but I wasn't planning on sticking around for this…especially not after I felt like I was suffocating during dinner one night. I ran through the halls, out to the desk, and along nearly the entire edge of the ship before I got to the stern, sobbing the entire way. A few people looked at me like I was crazy, but… I didn't care. Once I arrived at the stern, I looked over the edge, knowing this was what I had to do. I couldn't suffocate any more.

Slowly… I climbed over the railing, holding on tight. I turned to face the sea, ready to make my jump.

That's when a voice stopped me…

.

_- BASH -_

I couldn't believe I won. A lucky hand at poker and I won a ticket aboard the Titanic. I was looking for a way to get back home to America for so long, but things had never worked out for me. I felt like this was fate. I was meant to be aboard this ship.

The first few days were uneventful. We weren't even headed for America until after our stop in Ireland. Then it was full steam ahead. By the end of the second day, I found myself laying out on the deck underneath the stars on a bench. It was freezing out tonight, but sure as hell warmer than the water below us. Being from as cold of a place as Michigan? I knew what cold felt like. This didn't even come close.

I lit a cigarette and kept looking up at the stars, counting as many as I could. There had to be hundreds of them out tonight. It was peaceful… a little _too_ peaceful if you asked me. But… if I wanted excitement I would have just stayed below deck in the third class area where there was a real party going on. I had a feeling it would be like that every night until we arrived. Not that I was complaining. I planned on making an appearance. Just…not right now.

My cigarette was about halfway gone when I heard the sound of high heels and sobbing. I sat up as soon as I saw something pass… a young woman, running towards the stern and crying. She was obviously first class. Third class people didn't dress like _that_… though I could only see her from behind, I knew a first class girl when I saw one. They weren't hard to distinguish from the third class ladies.

I was concerned. Maybe that was wrong. I should have known my place as a third class passenger but still… I got up from the bench and followed her. By the time I found her at the stern, she was already on the other side of the railing. _She's going to jump_, I thought.

"Don't do it," I said gently, but loud enough for her to hear, knowing it was out of pure instinct that I had to save this girl from taking her own life.

.

_- MARY -_

_Don't do it_. A random stranger telling me not to jump… a third class passenger by the looks of him. He was way out of line. He didn't know _me_ or my situation, so why did he care if I killed myself? I looked at him and said, "Don't come any closer or I'll jump!"

He raised his eyebrows a little and then took another hit of the cigarette between his fingers before he tossed it over the railing. "No you won't. You would have done it already."

I glared at him. "How would you know what I would or would not do? You don't _know_ me. Go away!" I looked back over the railing.

He kept talking. "I'm involved now. So if you jump, I'll have to go in after you." I looked back and he was taking off his jacket and his shoes. This guy was prepared to dive in after me. A complete stranger… risking his life for _me_. But…_why_?

"You're insane. You'd die too," I told him. "It's a long fall."

He stood up after taking off his other shoe and said, "Yeah, it would hurt, but I'm more concerned about the temperature of the water."

Oh God. I hadn't even thought about that. "The water?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "Probably… _well_ below freezing. The worst feeling in the world… I'd know. I grew up in Michigan near Lake Huron. I was playing one day with some of my friends when I was a child and we went onto the frozen water. One spot wasn't thick enough… it cracked and I fell in. Thankfully it wasn't too deep but… it was the worst sensation I've ever felt in my life."

I shuddered. "R-really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Like a thousand knives stabbing you all over your body. I wasn't in it for more than a few seconds but it's a feeling I'll never forget. The pain is so intense that you can't do anything else but think about it." He sighed. "So… I don't want to have to jump in there after you but… I will. But I'm hoping you'll come back over on your own."

Suddenly I found myself wondering whether or not his story was real. I didn't know this man. He could have been a con-artist for all I know. Could I trust him? Probably not. "You're crazy!" I said and looked back.

Even though I couldn't actually see him, I could feel it when he leaned forward a little and said, "Everyone says that but… with all due respect? I'm not the one hanging off the back of a ship." His voice seemed a bit closer, and I could actually feel a little bit of his breathing. It was the only source of warmth I had right now.

Looking down at the water, I was suddenly scared to do this.

He held out his hand and said, "Come on. Just take my hand."

His hand was to my left… so, slowly, with my right hand, I reached over and grabbed it. I had to be careful as I turned my body to face him. One wrong move and I'd slip off the railing.

He smiled when I faced him. I couldn't imagine what was going through his mind but he must have been pretty proud of himself for stopping me. As for what was going through _my_ head? Well… I had no idea. One minute I was ready to commit suicide by jumping off the back of a ship, and the next minute a third class passenger was convincing me to stop.

"I'm Sebastian Poitiers," he said. "Bash."

I held onto his hand tightly. "Mary Guise-Stuart."

His smile grew a little. "You might have to write that down for me." That made me laugh a little, despite how terrified I was. "Come on," he said. I went to step up on the railing…

But I caught my dress and slipped.

...

A/N: Chapter 02 coming soon! Review and let me know what you think so far. (I know it sounds a LOT like the movie right now, but don't worry... I have plans. :]) -heart-


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 02.** – THOUGH I'VE BEEN TO THE CLOUDS IT'S JUST A TEMPORARY HIGH

_- MARY -_

I was about to scream… when Bash caught me from the other side. He was fast. Fast enough to stop me from nearly falling to my death, or even to stop me from dangling off the back of the ship. He pulled me up and I did my best to help before he got me safely over the railing and we fell to the ground.

That was too damn close.

Bash sat up and sat me up with him, since I'd fallen on top of him. "Are you alright?" he asked, holding onto my shoulders.

I nodded. "Yes, I—…that was close. I thought I was going to actually die like I planned."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," he told me and then stood up. He brushed off his pants and then held out a hand to pull me up. I took it and made sure he didn't have to do all the work.

I bent down slightly and took off my high heels. They were cutting into my feet and annoyed the hell out of me. I wanted to rip the bottom half of my skirt off but that would be a lot of work. When I came back up, shoes in hand, I said, "Thank you. That was… very selfless of you to do. You don't even know me and yet you saved me from committing suicide."

A small grin crossed his lips. "You don't have to thank me. I wouldn't let anyone try to kill themselves… ever." He bent down to grab his jacket from the ground and also slipped his shoes back on. "Next time it gets to be too much though… just remind yourself that you're not alone."

I didn't know how to verbally respond to that, but out of pure instinct… I _smiled_. "Thank you."

That's when I heard my voice from a slight distance. "Mary!" I turned to see Francis and several guards running towards us. "Where have you been, I've been looking for you everywhere?" he asked once he was close enough.

Well I wasn't about to tell him that I'd nearly committed suicide but that young man standing next to me had put a stop to it. "I needed some air," I said. "I'm sorry to have worried you." Though… I really wasn't. I didn't care for Francis. Not even a little bit.

Francis nodded and immediately his eyes drifted to Bash. "Who's this?" he asked, the question directed at me, but he wasn't looking in my direction at all.

Bash nodded and said, "Sebastian Poitiers, sir. I… thought Miss Guise-Stuart looked a little upset. I came to see if she was alright. I was mistaken. It's hard to judge expressions from a distance."

My fiancé looked a little suspicious, but he didn't say anything other than, "Yes. Indeed, it is." He looked at me now. "Did he cause you any harm?"

"Francis!" I scolded. I knew what he was implying. "How could you think such a thing? Just because he's a third class passenger? They're not untrained dogs, no matter what you choose to think." Bash seemed unmoved by Francis' words. Maybe he was used to it. It probably didn't phase him, but I thought it was rude. Offensive.

Francis looked to Bash. "I apologize," he said, though his tone said something different. "My mistake."

"As a token of his appreciation," I said, speaking for Francis (intentionally trying to put words in his mouth), "why don't you join us for dinner tomorrow night?"

His eyes widened. Francis looked stunned, but I knew he was trying his best to hide it. Bash asked, "D-dinner? In the first class dining room?"

"Of course," I answered.

Francis forced a smile. "Yes, we'd love to have you. Especially since you were kind enough to look out for my fiancée."

It was as though Francis was trying to intentionally tell Bash that we were together, but he didn't seem phased by that either. "If you insist—"

"We do," Francis said, cutting him off.

Bash grinned. "Then it would be an honor."

Francis nodded, said, "Fantastic. We'll see you then," and walked away. I looked back and noticed his henchman, Hugo, was there. I didn't like Hugo. He was creepy. There was no other way to describe that man… just creepy.

When they were far enough away, I looked back at Bash. "Thank you."

"Of course," he said.

"I suppose I'll… see you tomorrow." He nodded and I turned to walk away. Francis had stopped to wait for me when he realized I hadn't been following him. He escorted me back to our suites. I didn't want him to come into mine, but he came in anyway. I couldn't control him. He did his best to control _me_. But I wasn't about to play the obedient fiancée any time soon. I didn't love him.

.

_- BASH -_

I watched Mary walk away with her fiancé. He seemed like a giant ass. But I couldn't say anything about it. I didn't know them and I wasn't going to pretend to even though I'd come across guys like him before. The uppity, rich type who saw me as nothing but something that came out of the sewer. I didn't have a privileged upbringing. My family was from Michigan. Once I left home, I started traveling any and everywhere, working my way from place to place, and drawing every step of the way. I'd been drawing since I could remember. It helped me get by… for the most part.

A few minutes later, I returned to the third class level and went into my room. I shared it with three other guys, none of whom I knew, but there was a guy named Leith who was really cool. He had the bunk right above mine. All four of my roommates were out at the party being thrown in the third class commons. I debated on going there but… I didn't want to.

Truth was, I was thinking about Mary. What would have happened had I not stopped her? Or maybe if I hadn't been lying on that bench on the deck? She could have been dead. But… I also believed everything happened for a reason. For what purpose was I supposed to end up saving her life, though? I had no idea. I wanted to find out. She obviously wasn't happy. Honestly it was kind of typical… the spoiled rich white girl who was just dying inside. To them, the only way out was suicide. It was sad, really. I had a hell of a life, and not in a good way, and I wasn't about to go jumping off the back of a ship.

I grabbed my book and my art kit and started drawing. Mary's face was put permanently into my memory. I couldn't stop seeing her. So… I decided to draw her. Just her face. She was so beautiful. It made me wonder what a beautiful woman like her would feel tortured for. I didn't know her story. I didn't know anything about her other than she was engaged to the giant douche who'd come looking for her. But I wanted to know her.

Maybe I would get the opportunity tomorrow. After all… I would be dining in first class.

...

A/N: Chapter 03 coming soon! Also, someone asked if they should be preparing for Bash's impending doom. Um... not just yet. You never know how it's gonna end. (And quite frankly I don't know yet either. xD) Review and let me know what y'all think! -heart-


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 03.** – YOU'RE JUST A FANTASY GIRL, IT'S AN IMPOSSIBLE WORLD

_- BASH -_

When I woke up in the morning, I ate breakfast in the third class commons before taking to the deck to walk around. I found a seat on a bench and started sketching just about everything I could. There were many people on the deck this morning, and all were worthy of my artist ability. I wasn't picky about what I drew. Normally I took the first thing that came along. My book was full of drawings from the many places I'd traveled. I was better at drawing people than objects but I was good all around. Or… at least I liked to _think _I was. Not that the art dealers in Paris cared to buy any of my work.

As I was sketching, I looked up to see Mary on the deck above me with her fiancé. Francis?...was his name? I thought I remembered her saying that yesterday. She didn't seem too happy. In fact, she was doing her best to ignore him. I flipped a page in my book and started sketching the scene. The first class deck seemed so much more… _tame_. Everyone was well behaved. It wasn't too active. _My_ class' deck, on the other hand, was quite noisy and many children were running around. It was less chaotic up in first class. Not that that was a bad thing either way. I quite liked the company of my class. We all… _understood_ each other.

I looked back up just as I was finishing and I met Mary's eyes. She'd spotted me. I grinned and she smiled back. I looked down at the book again, putting on a few finishing touches. It was pretty good, if I did say so myself. I wasn't the world's best artist but I'd been practicing for so long it was almost second nature to me. I didn't go anywhere without my sketch book.

"Can I see?" a voice suddenly asked.

I jumped just a little and looked up. It was Mary. Confused, I asked, "How did you—?"

She laughed, cutting me off. "I excused myself from Francis. I saw you drawing down here. Do you mind if I see?"

"Be my guest," I said as I handed my book over to her and gestured for her to sit down beside me, moving over as I did. It was already open to the page I'd drawn her and her fiancé on.

Mary seemed impressed. "Wow. This is… _very_ good." She started flipping through the page. "My goodness these are… _extraordinary_. Are you an artist?"

"Well I'm not known all over the world, but I'm not sure there's any other label you could put on me." She kept flipping through the pages. "I've been drawing since I was a child. I took it seriously before I reached my teens."

She looked up at me. "You can't be very far out of your teens," she observed.

I smiled. "I'm twenty. Do you mind if I ask your age now that you know mine?"

"Eighteen," she answered without hesitation and looked back at the book. She turned the page and I almost felt embarrassed because… well, it was a particular kind of drawing. "Oh… my goodness, you should have warned me first."

I smirked. "Never seen another woman naked before, Miss Guise-Stuart?"

"Please, call me Mary," she said. "And… no. Only myself in the mirror."

"So do other women differ?" I asked, slightly teasing.

She glared a little, which made my smile widen. "No. I'd say we're all the same." Laughed and she continued to flip through the book. "I have to say I'm impressed. Good art is hard to come by these days."

I appreciated that. But if only she knew what the real art critics thought. "Thank you," I said and took the book back when she held it back out to me. "So what about you? Any hidden talents?"

A laugh escaped her. "If staying quiet and looking like a porcelain doll is a talent, then I'm pretty much an expert at it, and it's not too much of a talent." That really didn't surprise me but I had to laugh anyway. "I don't have a lot of time to find a 'talent.' My mother's too busy turning me into a bride."

My lips formed a frown. "I'm sorry. I take it you don't love the guy?"

She shook her head. "Not even a little bit. But all of our wealth is gone and this is our only chance to retain our lifestyle. My mother wouldn't know how to function any other way."

"And you?" I asked.

That question seemed to have stumped her. Mary thought for a few moments before she answered. I could tell she was choosing her words carefully. "I… would learn to adapt. I'm young… I have so much more life left to live. There's no telling what the future will bring."

I had to admit, she had an optimistic way of looking at things. How was that possible, though? She'd just tried to kill herself last night. Maybe she would rather be dead than live the life she was living now if she couldn't live another. Many people in my class envied people like her. It seemed to me that… _she_ envied _us_.

"Anyway," she said. "Enough about me. Tell me about you. If I uh… remember correctly… you said you were from Michigan?"

I nodded. "I am. I'm from a town called Port Huron, right off the coast on _Lake_ Huron. It's one of the five Great Lakes."

"Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior, right?"

"Very good," I said. "And ironically enough you used the mnemonic device to name them. HOMES."

"So which one is the best?" she asked.

"I'm biased towards Huron because I grew up there, but they're all the same. All fresh water lakes. Superior is the deepest and the coldest, but they're all freezing for the most part. I guess that's what happens when you live up there. The weather's always cold."

She shivered a little. "How do you stand it?"

I grinned. "I grew up with it. It's nothing to me now."

"What about your family?" she asked me.

"They're all gone. Dead," I corrected myself, not wanting to sugar coat it. "I was an only child. No brothers or sisters. I've been on my own since I was seventeen." The last three, almost four, years had been the hardest of my life, but I'd traveled so much in that time I honestly wouldn't trade it for anything else.

Mary gave me a sympathetic look. "I'm very sorry to hear that." All I did was give a small grin in thanks. "How did you wind up on board Titanic?"

I laughed. "Would you believe me if I told you I won a poker game at the last minute and my ticket was the prize?"

She seemed surprised by that and laughed. "Wow… well, I suppose I have to."

"Luckiest moment of my life, that's for sure," I said. "Otherwise I would have been stuck in Europe for God only knows how long."

"You've been wanting to go home for some time?" she assumed. I nodded. "Guess it's very lucky indeed."

"So's the fact that I'll be dining with you tonight," I said, slightly changing the subject.

Mary said, "Speaking of that, what are you planning to wear?" I looked down at my clothes and shrugged, looking back up at her. "Oh dear," she said. "Come on… I have a friend who can help."

.

She led me into the first class chambers, down many hallways until we reached one of the largest suites on the ship. I watched as she knocked a few times, not knowing who was going to be behind that door. Finally, an older, short blonde woman answered. "Mary, my dear," she said and the two ladies kissed each other's cheeks. "What brings you here?"

"I'm in need of your help," she answered. "Or… rather my friend here is." Mary turned and gestured me to subtly with one of her hands. "Catherine, this is Sebastian Poitiers. Bash, allow me to introduce Catherine Medici."

...

A/N: Chapter 04 coming soon! Please review and let me know what you think! :]


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 04.** – MAKE SURE YOU LOOK YOUR BEST

_- BASH -_

The older woman, Catherine Medici, held out her hand with a smile. "Hello, Dear," she said. I took it and we shook hands. "So nice to meet you. Please, come inside." She stepped aside and Mary led me inside her friend's suite. "What seems to be the problem?" she asked.

Mary turned to her and answered, "Bash here will be joining us at dinner this evening. And… as you can see, wardrobe is a bit of a problem."

Catherine nodded, observing me. "Yes, indeed. I can certainly help him. He appears to be the same size as my son." She held out her arm and put it around my back. "Come now, Dear. We'll find you something suitable for this evening."

I was left alone with Catherine just a few moments later. Mary went to prepare herself for dinner. It hadn't realized how much time had passed since I rose this morning and went out onto the deck. I tended to lose track of time when I was drawing. Catherine took me to her son's quarters and started rummaging through his closet. "This is… very kind of you, Ms. Medici."

"Please, call me Cathy," she said. "Everyone does. They only call me Catherine or Ms. Medici out of respect. So formal." She pulled out a tuxedo and held it up to me. "Yes, I think that'll do. Try it on," she said, pressing it up against me. I took it and she turned around to rummage through the closet again. I stripped out of my clothes and put the trousers and the button up shirt on. She found some shoes and put them down beside me, then turning to help me with the vest. "Have you ever worn a tuxedo before, Mr. Poitiers?"

I smiled. "No, ma'am. And please, call me Bash, if we're insisting on not being formal with one another."

She smiled and said, "I like you, Bash. I can see why Mary's made a fast friend out of you."

That filled me with a little pride. Especially coming from a first class woman, it was nice to hear. "I like her. She's not like most first class ladies."

"It wasn't that long ago that I was a third class member, like yourself," Catherine said. I was surprised. My face showed it. "Oh yes, I know what you're thinking. My husband struck gold out west, so we inherited many riches. I'm what they consider '_new money_.' I hear the whispers about me and I see the looks the other ladies throw in my direction. In many ways, I'm still an outsider, even in this first class world."

It seemed like first class was not a place people wanted to be. I used to envy those who had everything when I had nothing, and now I was kind of starting to appreciate the fact that I didn't. "That much be horrible," I said, not sure what else to say and she walked behind me and helped me with the jacket.

"Sometimes," she said. "But I never forgot when I came from. The other ladies have never known anything else. They could never survive if they lost everything. Like Madame Guise, Mary's mother."

"I'm assuming I'll meet her tonight?"

"Oh yes," she said. "She's not the most pleasant lady in the world, but I tolerate her. I wish she could truly experience life without wealth, just for a week. Without Francis Valois and his family's money, she would be lost. But I think Mary would survive. She's a strong girl. Stronger than she gives herself credit for."

If other people saw how strong Mary was, then maybe she could really make something more of herself. I may have only met her yesterday, but I wished her the strength to fight back and take control of her own life. I'd stopped her from killing herself… maybe I could change her life in other ways. "Do you think she'll be happy?"

Catherine laughed. "Oh God no." She came around to help with the buttons of the jacket. "I wish she could be, but she's never going to truly love Francis. He's a bit of a narcissist and only cares about getting his father's wealth."

That honestly didn't surprise me. "I hope she finds happiness somehow."

She smiled. "As do I, Dear." She smoothed out the fabric on my shoulders and said, "There now. Perfect fit. You clean up very nicely, Bash."

"Thank you, Cathy," I said with a smile.

She looked over at the table next to us and noticed my book. "What's this you carry?" She went over to pick it up.

"My book of art," I answered.

"May I?" she asked. I nodded and gestured with my hand toward it. She opened it up and started to look through it. "Extraordinary." I watched her go through the pages, not nearly reacting as surprised to my more questionable drawings like Mary had. When she finished, she looked up. "My family and I have been needing a new portrait for some time now," she said, closing the book and handing it back to me. "I think you are perfect for the job."

I took the book and my eyes widened. "Really?"

She nodded. "And I will pay you half now, half after."

"Oh, no that's not—"

"Nonsense. Don't try to protest. I insist."

I smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate this."

.

_- MARY -_

When I left Bash alone with Catherine, I went back to my own quarters and was greeted by my mother and our maids who were ready to help me prepare for dinner. Dressing up to eat a meal was an event in first class… one I found to be quite over the top. I'd much rather lay in bed and drink a cup of tea and snack on some crackers of some sort. But when in first class, every meal was an occasion, _especially_ dinner, which was multiple courses and more food than most could really handle.

I honestly wondered how many of us stayed so skinny.

"Francis tells me there was an incident last night," Mother said as she tightened my corset. "Care to explain?"

I wanted to roll my eyes, but I was standing near the mirror and she would see it. "It wasn't an incident, per se, Mother. I left to get some fresh air and started wandering around the ship. And then I began talking with a lovely gentleman from third class."

"Would this be the same gentleman that's joining us this evening?" Mother asked, not too happy by her tone. Apparently Francis had told her _all_ about it.

"Yes. Francis and I invited him as a thank you for his kindness."

"Wouldn't a few bills do the job?" By 'bills,' she meant 'money.' A _lot_ of money. Because apparently money was the only thing that worked on people. I'd just love to see my mother as a seamstress. She wouldn't last five minutes. No… no, I wouldn't even give her _that_ long. It might have been mean to think, but it was the truth.

"Money can't buy everyone's thanks, Mother," I replied. "Sebastian is a very nice man. Don't treat him like garbage just because he's not as rich as we are." And… technically we weren't even the rich ones. It was Francis and his family. We weren't even married yet, but my mother and I were benefiting from the engagement.

My mother scoffed. "Why shouldn't I? All of the third class passengers are garbage. They look like garbage. They _smell_ like it."

I pulled away and turned around. "Need I remind you that _we_ could be traveling third class right now if not for Francis and his family?" The look on my mother's face said it all. She knew I'd put her in her place and wasn't going to speak of the matter anymore. So… I slowly turned back around so she could finish with my corset.

I found myself questioning my actions. Why would I defend our situation to my mother? Sure, it was merely a reminder that would could be like the third class passengers right now, but I made it seem like I was happy about this engagement. Maybe it was the act that I had to continuously put on around her to make her happy. She wanted my engagement to Francis to work out. I shuddered at the thought of him… _with_ me like that… and eventually having his child. My stomach became nauseous every time I thought about it. But it would have to happen one day. I would have to produce an heir for the Valois Empire.

I didn't care for Francis. Not at all. But I had to marry him. I didn't want to because I didn't want to be stuck in a loveless marriage for the rest of my life. Sadly I didn't have a choice. This was how my life was going to be.

There was a knock on the door. A maid answered it. Francis stepped inside, already dressed in his tux. "Are we ready to go?"

...

A/N: Review review review! Chapter 5 coming soon! -heart-


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 05.** – MY LUCKY STRIKE

_- BASH -_

I made my way to the first class dining room. Just outside entrance was a grand staircase that left me in awe. I hadn't really paid attention to the décor of the first class level, but now that I truly had a chance, I was suddenly in love. I wouldn't want to be here every day, but to get the chance to see it _now_ was thrilling. Maybe I was supposed to be given the privilege to see it for myself. Meeting Mary hadn't been an accident.

Francis seemed surprised when he saw me all cleaned up and in a tuxedo. All I did was grin back in his direction. The guy was an asshole. I knew people like him, but I think he took the cake for being the worst. But maybe right after Mary's mother, Marie Guise, who didn't even acknowledge me.

Mary looked absolutely stunning in her dress. I held out my arm for her and she took it. I escorted her to the dining room and we stopped once we were inside a ways. Mary pointed to a woman who had to be the best dressed in the room. "There's Countess of Kinross. Greer," Mary said. I took note of her. But I was soon turned to the attention of a man with a young woman. "That's Henry Angoulême, the richest man on the ship. His little wifey there, Kenna, is my age and in delicate condition." I took a closer look. "See how she's trying to hide it?" Mary asked. It was apparent there was a great age difference between Henry and Kenna Angoulême, and upon looking much closer I could tell something was different around her belly area. Definitely pregnant. "Quite the scandal," she added which made me chuckle a little. Even in this class that would be considered a little scandalous.

She turned again and pointed me in another direction. "And that's Simon Westbrook and his mistress Madame Diane Batarnay. Mrs. Westbrook is at home with the children of course." That didn't surprise me, honestly. Another direction, to where Francis and Marie were talking with a couple. "And over here we have Lord Colin and Lady Lola Vallier. Lady Lola designs naughty lingerie, among her many talents." I laughed while she waved in their direction. "Quite popular with the royals."

Before Mary could give me the rundown of any more of the first class royalty, I turned to find Catherine at my side. "Care to escort a lady to dinner?"

"Certainly," I said, holding out my other arm for her to take. I led both ladies further into the dining room. Catherine told me to act like I was a member of the club. Pretend I discovered a gold mine or something. It should have been too hard. Before we were seated, I was acquainted with Henry and Kenna Angoulême. Henry seemed to be a good friend of Catherine's. When we found our table, I was acquainted with the Countess of Kinross, who seemed like a lovely lady. My seat was right next to hers. On my other side was Catherine.

I was interrogated by Madame Guise at the dinner table somewhat, but I held my own. The others seemed impressed by what I had to say. I couldn't believe I was pulling this off. It was all quite intriguing, but I wouldn't want to live like this every day. Once up a time, I'd envied everyone who lived like this. But now I found it would probably get quite boring after awhile. Madame Guise didn't seem very impressed by me. I was like a mutt to her. Some rabid animal that wasn't civilized. I could see now why Catherine didn't like her.

After dinner I asked Catherine if she had a pen and something to write on. She pulled both out of her purse and I quickly scribbled something down to give to Mary before I left. The men departed for the smoking room for drinking and such, and I declared that it was time for me to be heading back to third class. They bid me farewell before they left. I went up to Mary, who was still sitting down. "Time for me to be getting back to the dungeon," I said. She held out her hand and I took it, bending down to kiss it once and slipped the note into her hand as I slipped my hand out.

I turned away, not knowing if she would realize what was there. But I hoped that she would make it count…

_- MARY -_

I suddenly found myself with something in my hand. Bash had put it there. As he walked away, I looked around to make sure no one was looking, particularly Mother. If anyone found it, I wouldn't ever be able to read it. Or I'd never be able to take advantage of what Bash was inviting me to do. I had a feeling that's what this was. I just knew it. After looking to make sure no one was looking, I opened it as fast as I could and saw what was written there.

_Make it count! Meet me by the clock!_

I looked up. Bash was already gone. I had to get away but I didn't want to leave so soon or it would seem suspicious. I crumpled up the paper and hid it skillfully so Mother wouldn't see. Waiting seemed like the best option. The other ladies were still here, so I engaged in conversation with them for awhile before I excused myself. I made up some excuse that I was feeling tired and I wanted to retire for the evening.

Mother didn't seem to completely buy it, but she didn't stop me. So I stood up and casually left the dining room. On the way out, I said hello a few people I hadn't seen on the way in. Everyone knew me because of Francis. He liked to parade me around like a prized possession. That's all I was to him. A possession.

When I reached the clock, I saw Bash standing there. His back was turned towards me. But it was almost as if he knew I was there when he turned around. I hadn't given him any indication I'd arrived. "So… how would you like to go to a real party?" he asked.

Suddenly, I got very excited.

...

A/N: Everyone mentioned in this chapter is a character from the show. I had to change some last names by borrowing them from the real historical figures' lives. If they weren't a real historical figure, I followed a last name from another one of them. Chapter 6 coming soon! Review review review! -heart-


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 06.** – WHERE I COME FROM

_- MARY -_

Bash took me down to the third class commons room where a party was in full swing. It was loud, hot, and the room was full of smoke… not that I minded. Smoking was actually a habit of mine that Mother didn't approve of. I tried to sneak a cigarette in every chance I could when she wasn't looking. The air smelled of sweat and booze. I _definitely_ knew I was in third class now. And… I _liked_ it.

I was introduced to Bash's friends and roommates. They all seemed to be very nice. Very genuine and real, unlike most of the people in my class. They asked me to sit down with them when a little girl ran up to Bash. She couldn't have been any older than five or six. "Bash, dance with me!"

The smile on Bash's face was unlike any smile I'd ever seen before. "Anything for my best girl, Madeline." He took her hands and started twirling her around. Seeing Bash with a small child made my heart melt. Francis would never be so kind to a child, not even one in his own class. I wondered how he would treat _our_ child whenever we had one. It terrified me.

Bash's friends tried to engaged in conversation with me but I could barely hear them above the music and the stomps of feet from people dancing and jumping around everywhere. It was absolute chaos but I found it infectious. If there was ever a time to lose myself, it would be now. I may never get the opportunity again.

I took a beer that Leith, Bash's best friend aboard the ship, brought to the table—one for each of us. I downed as much as I could, knowing I didn't get beer that often. Mostly champagne and wine, that sort of thing. I looked up in the middle of the drink. Bash had stopped dancing with Madeline and was staring at me, surprised. "What?" I asked when I brought the glass down. "You think a first class girl can't drink?" I laughed. He did too and twirled Madeline around again when she tugged on his hand. I swiped the cigarette from Leith's mouth and took a hit of it. Bash's friends seemed impressed with me. I wasn't like any other first class girl.

A new song started from the band and Bash looked at Madeline. "I'm gonna dance with her now," he said and pointed at me. Madeline nodded and ran back to her father—or I could assume a man that was her father—while Bash grabbed my hand and pulled me up. He pulled me close so our bodies were completely touching. I told him I didn't know this dance, and he said he didn't either so we were going to have to wing it.

It was probably the most fun I ever had at a party. I'd been to many parties in my lifetimes, but none as outrageous and thrilling as this. When it got to be late, Bash offered to walk me back to my quarters. I accepted. We left the commons room and started down the hall. "I've never had so much fun," I said.

Bash smiled. "I'm glad. I thought you might enjoy that."

"Thank you for getting me away from the prim and proper for an evening. I don't know what I would have done if I had to endure another night of mindless chatter about things I care nothing about."

He laughed. "You don't have to thank me. You should thank yourself. Only you could make the choice to come with me. All I did was… give you a little nudge." He proceeded to nudge me in the side with his elbow. I squealed a little, making him laugh again. "This is probably the last we'll see one another."

I nodded, my happy expression fading. "Yes, I suppose it is." It was quiet for a few moments. "I wish it didn't have to be. I enjoy your company. I enjoy…_you_. You've reminded me that there's a world beyond mine and I can explore it if I want to."

"You should," he said. "When you get off the boat… once we get to America… you should explore the world out there. If you can find a way to get away from your family, I say do it."

If only I could. It would be impossible. Once the ship docked, I would be glued to my mother's side and Francis'. There were too many people around us that would notice if I tried to run away. I needed a way out. I just didn't know how to find one. "I wish it were that easy," I told him, much to my eternal regret.

We walked many hallways, talking about anything under the sun that crossed our minds. Eventually we returned to my quarters. It was quiet. The cigars and the brandy must have been holding out so Francis wasn't back yet. And my mother was probably caught up in too much gossip to leave. "Well… this is me," I said, stopping at the door. "Thank you… for a lovely time this evening."

Bash took my hand and said, "It was my pleasure." He bent down and kissed my hand. I felt a jolt of energy run through me as he did. Slowly, he rose and we locked eyes. I didn't want to look away from him. He was so handsome… so kind and loving… all of the things Francis would _never_ be. I suddenly realized that I was more than trapped in my world. They were holding me back with every restraint possible. I want to be able to live my own life. Tonight… for the first time… I felt like I had.

I didn't want it to be the last.

"Goodnight, Mary," Bash said and slowly went to turn away.

But I pulled him back. With his hand still in mine, I stopped him and pulled him close to me. Immediately, our lips met. It was the first time I ever took charge of my feelings and my life. I kissed Bash and he kissed me back. His arms slid around my waist and mine slid around his neck. He tasted so good to me. It was the first real kiss I ever had. I didn't want it to end…

But knew it had to.

Slowly, I pulled away, but he seemed to do the same like we were completely in sync. I looked into his eyes, locked onto mine, and felt my heart racing. That was the boldest thing I'd ever done. It felt amazing. I'd just met this man yesterday… and here I was, kissing him and holding him close to me. My mother would have a heart attack if she could see me right now.

"Goodnight, Bash," I whispered. And slowly, we drifted apart. I took the door handle to my chambers and opened it, slowly making my way inside. Bash was still there… even to the last second when I closed the door.

_- BASH -_

I wasn't expecting that, not at all. But I wasn't complaining. Truth was, I'd thought about kissing her once… maybe twice. Mary was quite possibly the most beautiful girl I'd ever laid my eyes on. She may have been a first class girl, but she was so much more than that. She had a spirit and a fire inside of her that was dying to be let out. That much was clear to me now, and I wished I could help her. But what did I have to offer her other than freedom? Maybe she didn't care about all of those things… what I did or didn't have… but I knew one thing was for certain: I'd become smitten with her.

As I made my way back to the third class deck, my head was still spinning. It might have been the effects of the alcohol I'd consumed tonight, or maybe it was just the kiss I'd shared with Mary. Really, I didn't know. I liked to think it was a combination of both. The kiss had given me a high I'd never felt before. Part of me felt guilty because… well, she was an engaged woman. The man who was to have her hand in marriage could skin me alive if he ever found out. I doubted Mary would ever tell him… and there had been no one else around to see our shared moment. I guess I could sleep a little easier tonight knowing that.

Still… I wanted to be able to steal her away and give her the life she so longed for. She was cooped up in her world for so long that she craved something new. Her life and the things that surrounded it had absolutely no interest to her. I now understood why she tried to kill herself last night on the bow. It made me feel for her as I'd never felt for anyone before. All she wanted was freedom… a freedom _I_ had. My situation wasn't ideal, but I could now see why she would envy it. I had no boundaries. She had too many.

I had to help her. I _had_ to.

...

A/N: Chapter 7 will be on its way eventually. I had this chapter ready yesterday before I got the bad news that I'd been fired from my job, so my muse for writing has been tampered with. I have to go out and look for a new job and its also the end of spring break so things are gonna be a little iffy for me. I will try to update as normally as possible. If y'all read _Into the Fire_ you know I'm really good at updating frequently. Should anything change where I won't be able to update for a long period of time, you will know in advance. Send me some love on this chapter... you can see I deviated a LOT from the movie in this one. -heart-


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 07.** – BREAK OUT THIS BOX YOU TRY TO KEEP ME IN

_- MARY -_

The next morning I woke after the most wonderful sleep I'd gotten in years. I had dreamed for the first time of truly breaking away from this life and exploring everything I wanted to… all with Bash at my side. For the first time in years I woke, comfortable with myself, not because of where I was but because of where I wanted to go. No matter how hard, I would find a way.

I went to Francis' sitting room to join him for breakfast. He was particularly talkative, rambling on and on about his discussions with the man last night in the smoking room. I only pretended to listen, smiling and nodding occasionally. I almost faded out of the conversation when he got my attention for real. "How was your evening, darling?"

Crap. I couldn't tell him what had really happened. "Oh, I was tired so I returned early," I answered. "My night wasn't nearly as exciting as yours."

He grinned. "And Poitiers? He returned after dinner?"

I nodded. "Yes, I watched him leave. I haven't seen him since." That was a boldfaced lie, but I couldn't tell Francis the truth.

"Well it's best that way," he told me. "He's a third class passenger. He belongs with his own kind."

"His own _kind_?" I asked. "Are you trying to imply that third class passengers aren't human? That they're some kind of other species?"

Francis was shocked by my words. It was as if I'd shot him. "They might as well be," he said. "You'll watch your words with me, Mary. I will not have my fiancée speak to me like that. Especially not after you previously raised your voice to me on the deck two nights ago."

So he _was_ pissed about that. I wondered when he'd bring it up.

After breakfast I went to dress for the day and attended mass with mother and Francis and the rest of the first class passengers. It was dreadful. I'd rather be anywhere else. I wanted to be with Bash. Surely his day was more exciting than mine so far…

_- BASH -_

When I woke it was late. Normally I didn't sleep so late into the morning, but last night had been incredibly tiring. I rose and dressed myself for the day before catching the last of the breakfast crowd in the third class commons and quickly ate something while on my way up to first class. I needed to see Mary again. I wanted to help her; I _had_ to. I felt it was my duty. We hadn't met by accident. I was sure of that now.

I wanted to be bold, but I knew that wasn't the best approach. So I snuck on to the first class deck and hid, hoping I'd see Mary walk by. The first class passengers attended mass early, and afterwards many of them took walks around the ship, normally guided by the man who built it. I swore I was there for at least an hour before I saw Mary on the arm of the engineer who designed the Titanic. They seemed to be friendly with one another. He'd been at dinner last night with us, sitting between Catherine and Mary.

Francis and Madame Guise walked behind Mary and eventually she released her hold on the man's arm. Thank God. I needed to get her attention. Somehow Francis and Madame Guise ended up in front of them, right near where I was hiding. This was my shot. "Psst! Mary!"

Mary heard that. She turned and looked to see me there. She stayed for a moment, making sure the others wouldn't realize she was gone, and then hurried over to hide with me. "What are you doing here, Bash? I thought we agreed we wouldn't see one another after last night?"

"That was before this happened," I said and grabbed her face, bringing her lips to mine. I could feel her melting into the kiss. She went weak. Honestly, I did too. I couldn't help it.

When the kiss broke, Mary put her hands on my chest. "I have to get out of here," she said. "I need to... get _away_ from _them_. I realized last night that I need to break free of this life or I'll be miserable forever."

I wanted to smile, but I couldn't. "How do you propose we do that?"

She _did_ smile. Apparently she wanted my help. "I'll come find you here later. I have a plan," she told me. "I need to catch up with the others or they'll get suspicious. Please, wait for me at the bow near sunset." I nodded. She kissed me again and then left.

It was hours from sunset, so I knew I had awhile and I wasn't about to try and hide on the first class deck for that long. I went back to the third class commons where Leith with sitting with his girl he'd met, Claire, that he seemed quite smitten with.

We talked for awhile and I ended up drawing the two of them as a souvenir. Claire and her family were going south once we arrived in America. Leith was staying in New York because he had family there. They would each have a portrait to remember one another by. Many others wanted drawings as well. I ended up filling the rest of my time waiting for near sunset drawing others for money. By the end, I'd earned more than enough to make it back to Michigan.

I finished up and left the commons room to return to the main deck. Hopefully Mary wouldn't be kept waiting. The sun was nearly about to set and I hurried to get there. I was nearly out of breath by the time that I arrived.

Thankfully, she wasn't there yet. So I stood at the very front of the ship—as far as one could go—and looked out to the sunset. It was absolutely beautiful. I'd never seen anything quite like this, and I'd seen _many_ sunsets in my time. Something about this one was magically almost. It made me feel…_hopeful_.

_- MARY -_

When I returned to Mother and Francis, we finished the tour around the ship and then Francis left us to join the men for some activities before dinner. Mother and I sat in the dining room having tea. I looked around and I didn't like what I saw. We would be arriving in America tomorrow or the next day. When that moment came, I would be leaving the ship a third class passenger. I would do whatever it took to be with Bash and enjoy life with _him_ instead of being miserable with Francis.

After dinner I excused myself and went to the bow. No one followed me, which was a good thing, especially with Francis and his henchman, Hugo, following my every move most of the time. I found Bash waiting there. He was looking out at the sunset and seemed to be quite mesmerized by it. And I had to admit, he looked so handsome.

"Hello, Bash," I said. He turned to see me and a smile crossed his face. "Are you ready?"

He held out his hand. "One thing first." I smiled and took his hand with no hesitation, but very curious as to what he was doing. He told me to close my eyes and led me forward, giving me a few simple directions. "Do you trust me?" he finally asked.

"I trust you," I said.

Suddenly I felt my arms being pulled out and up. I could feel nothing but the freeze. "Open your eyes."

And I did. What I saw amazed me. I saw standing on the railing while Bash behind me, looking out over the ocean ahead of us. "I'm flying!" He laughed and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Oh, Bash, this is amazing!"

Bash's mouth was near my ear. He said, "You deserve to spread your wings and fly. This is only the beginning for you, Mary."

I looked at him and brought my arms back in, resting my hands on top of his. "My beginning with you." I would leave the ship with him. I would go where he went and do what he did. Nothing would stop me. We came together at the same time and our lips met, this time more passionate than any time before. I was on top of the world. From here… it could only go up.

...

A/N: Chapter 8 coming soon! Keep sending the love! :] -heart-


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 08.** – ANYTHING WORTH OUR LOVE IS WORTH A FIGHT

_- MARY -_

I brought Bash back to my quarters after we left the deck. Mother would be out for awhile, and Francis wouldn't be back unless the cigars and brandy ran out, so I let Bash inside with me. The others would probably throw a fit if they saw him in here, but I didn't care. Tonight was quite possibly the last night I would spend in here. There was a chance we could arrive in America tomorrow. And besides… I wanted Bash to see this.

He seemed very surprised by my art collection. Yet another thing we had in common—our taste in art. I'd never seen another man appreciate the work I had in my collection before, but I shouldn't have been too shocked since Bash was an artist himself. "Bash… could I ask you something?"

Bash looked at me. "Of course."

"Would you draw me?"

He grinned. "Of course. But… why do you seem suspicious about it?"

Obviously I wasn't doing a very good job hiding it. I looked down and smirked, biting my bottom lip. "Um…" I looked up into his eyes. "I want you to draw me… with… no clothes on."

Bash was surprised. "I… wow. I… don't know if… I can do that."

That wasn't the answer I was looking for. "Why not?" I asked.

"Because…" Bash struggled to find his words. His body language said it all. I knew what he was trying to say. So I kissed him and wrapped my arms around his neck. He wrapped his around my waist and I pulled him back to my bed, collapsing on top of it.

I yanked his shirt out from his trousers and he made quick work of the straps of his suspenders before I could pull it over his head. I arched up and he pulled the strings of my dress undone, nearly ripping the dress off of me, leaving me in my corset and underskirt. Our lips met again as I sat up more and scooted back, pulling him with me, laying down on the pillows. Bash helped with my corset, pulling the strings undone which wasn't an easy task. When it came off, I felt like I could truly breathe again.

Bash kissed the skin of my abdomen, working his way up to my neck. I drew in a sharp breath, gasping as he slipped his fingers up my skirt and forced his fingers inside me. Two first and then three that he moved in and out. "Oh, Bash!" I cried out. "Oh, please! I need you!"

His lips came back to mine and our tongues tangled while he continued to fuck me with his fingers. I wanted all of him. Every way possible. I'd only known him two days, but I didn't care. It took me two days for fall for him. I'd been engaged to Francis for months and I was constantly trying to find something in him to love so I didn't have to be miserable. But I knew there was no one else for me. Bash and I met for a reason… so we could be together.

Before I could reach my peak, he pulled his fingers out. "No, please," I begged. "Don't stop."

"Shh," he said. "We're just getting started." He scooted back off of me and pulled my skirt down. I sat up as soon as it was off, now completely naked in front of him, but soon enough he would be in front of _me_. I made quick work of his pants and pushed them down his legs so he could kick them off the rest of the way. Bash pushed me back down and hovered over me. I pulled him down and he pushed inside of me. I cried out, moaning as I clutched the sheets beneath us.

He began rocking his hips and I joined him to find a rhythm that suited us. He wasn't gentle with me and I loved that. It surprised me but I was enjoying myself way too much to care. "Oh, God, Bash!" I called out as I felt the fire burning inside of me. It was building up more every second and I loved it.

"Ugh, Jesus _Christ_!" he called as he grabbed the headboard with one hand. I put my hands on his hips and I begged him not to stop.

I felt him reach his peak and moments later I reached mine. Bash collapsed on top of me and my body relaxed. That had been the most erotic moment of my life. Francis had forced himself on me a couple of times, so I was no stranger to intercourse, but actually being a willing participant changed everything. I _loved_ it. Bash was _incredible_.

_- BASH -_

I didn't expect that to happen. But when Mary asked me to draw her naked, I knew I wouldn't be able to control myself. I wanted her. I wanted her and I had her. It was risky having sex with her in her chambers while others could walk in any moment, but I was experiencing too much of a high to care. I was one hundred percent sure I'd fallen for Mary. Maybe I was crazy because we'd only known one another for two days but crazier things had happened… like me winning my ticket in a poker game.

I pressed my lips to her shoulder and then to her neck before I brought myself up enough to look into her eyes. "You're so beautiful," I said, caressing her face with my fingers.

"So are you," she told me. "I never want to be apart from you again."

I pressed my palm to the side of her face. "You'll never have to be. I promise."

.

An hour later, she was lying in bed as I sketched her. It was hard to concentrate but I did it. Mary was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. I didn't want anyone else.

We put our clothes back on and Mary left the drawing in Francis' safe where he kept money and some other valuable objects. Then we left and went down to the third class quarters and beyond. I wondered where she was taking me. Surely she'd seen many things on her tour earlier today. She must have known as place where we could hide.

I was right. We ended up in the storage deck where cars and other larger shipments were being carried. She pulled me into one and I shut the door behind me. "Again?" I asked.

"What do you think?" She pulled me down and kissed me, already trying to rip my clothes off. Hopefully no guards caught us down here. It would be better than Francis or Madame Guise finding us, but the risk was still just as great as it was up in first class. But… again, I didn't care.

We had to have spent nearly an hour or two in the back of that car. There wasn't a thing we didn't do while we were in there. I hadn't been with anyone in a very long time. Apparently tonight I was making up for it.

I laid my head on Mary's chest at one point. I could feel her heart beating. It was so fast… so powerful. Her fingers ran down my arm and a shudder ran through me. There was no place I'd rather be. Not with anyone else. "Mary," I whispered. "When we get off the ship… I want you to marry me."

She moved beneath me and I sat up. I looked into her shocked eyes as she asked, "Really?"

Nodding, I said, "Yes. Marry me… so you never have to be unhappy again."

A smile crossed her lips. "Yes. I will marry you."

We kissed and I put my hand behind her head, our tongues tangling again in a passionate embrace. I wanted to give Mary everything she wanted. She didn't want to be a rich girl… she wanted a normal life. I could give that to her.

...

A/N: Chapter 9 coming soon! Send the love! xo -heart-


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 09.** – BABY WE CRASH

_- MARY -_

After we left the storage deck, we went back up to the bow. It was freezing cold out but we needed to cool down after the events down below. Not many people were out. It was quite late so most were asleep or getting ready to retire for the night. I was wide awake. I didn't want to sleep. I wanted to stay up all night and watch as we arrived in America at Ellis Island. No one else would be by my side—just Bash. That was all I wanted.

Bash twirled me around. We danced and laughed, not having a care in the world. We would probably have to leave the deck soon so no one could find us. There were plenty of places to hide on this ship. We hadn't covered all of the territory yet. Our next stop would probably be third class. I just didn't want Francis finding us.

"When we get to Ellis Island, we should apply for our marriage license," I said, holding Bash's hands in mine as we stood close near the bow. "Get married as soon as we can and run away so no one ever finds us."

He smiled. "I like this idea. We can begin our life together… our life of freedom."

I pushed up on my toes and kissed him. We wrapped our arms around one another, kissing as passionately as we could. It also felt nice to be close to him since it was so cold. His body heat was keeping me nice and warm. My heart was beating so fast. I could swear I was having heart palpitations… my body was tingling. For the first time, I truly felt like I was living. I'd broken free of the chains holding me back.

That's when we felt the ship shudder.

Bash and I broke apart. We turned to see the ship had strike an iceberg from the side. My eyes widened. Part of the ice dropped and nearly hit us on the deck, but thankfully we stepped back in time. The ice and snow shattered and slid across the deck. Within moments, the ship stopped. We were at a dead standstill.

I looked at Bash. "Oh my," I said.

He took my hand and we went over to the side. It was hard to see, but the ship had definitely been struck a little further down. Not anywhere _we_ could see but down further on the level of the boiler rooms. "Come on," Bash said. "We should go back inside." His voice was urgent. So I let him take my arm and followed him in.

_- BASH -_

I led Mary back inside, through the halls, and down the lift to the third class. I could see some of the crew members running around and opening doors, shouting to everyone to put their life belts on and to get out of bed. Then I reached my bedroom where Leith and my other roommates were coming out and I felt something weird underneath my feet. Water. "What the bloody hell is going on here, Bash?" Leith asked.

"We saw the ship hit an iceberg," I answered. "And look." I nodded down to the floor. Leith saw the water and swore under his breath. "We need to get up to the main deck right now."

"Get Mary a life belt!" Leith called into the room.

I said, "She can have mine."

"No!" I heard her exclaim beside me. "Bash, that life belt is yours, it's in _your _room."

"But what's mine is yours now, Mary," I said. I lowered my voice just a bit. "If we're going to be married, we'll have to sacrifice for one another. I'm willing to give you my life belt."

Leith had it in his hands and he looked between us. Mary looked down and sighed before looking back up and took it from Leith to put on. I helped her get it on nice and secure. Then we started down the hall with Leith, who was also wearing a life belt. I was minus one because of my sacrifice to Mary. It would be worth it.

However, when we got to the stairs, people were crowded up and down and I noticed the gates were now closed. "Fuck!" I exclaimed quietly and looked around. The crew were trying to keep the third class passengers from getting out so they could load the first class on before.

Mary tugged at my arm. "Bash… on my tour earlier today, I was told that the number of lifeboats will not comply with all of the passengers on board. In fact… it's about half."

_No_. The ship was going down and only half of the people on board would get seated in a lifeboat. This wasn't happening. All those who didn't make it to a boat would either die or have to hope they didn't freeze to death in the Atlantic. I remembered telling Mary about how cold it was the day we met, right before I stopped her from jumping. A shiver ran through my body as I thought about the piercing cold water that surrounded this ship.

"What are we going to do, Bash?" Leith asked. "We have to get out of here."

I looked around, trying to think of what we should do. "Come on," I said. "Let's go this way!" I took Mary's hand and pulled her while Leith followed us down the hall, hopefully so we could find a stairwell that we could get through.

...

A/N: I am soooo sorry I haven't updated in a few days, but life kinda got in the way! That also explains why this chapter is A) a bit shorter, and B) a bit rushed. There's actually very little I could do to slow it down at that point, and I have different ideas from the movie soooo... I'm gonna try and drag it out as long as I can, but the ship has begun to sink! Chapter 10 coming soon! Leave me some love! -heart-


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10.** – JUST WHAT KIND OF LOVE KEEPS BREAKING A HEART

_- BASH -_

The corridor was long but eventually Mary and I found one unguarded and Leith followed us up the stairs. I tried the gate. It was locked. "Damn it!" I said. I started looking around for something—_anything_—to get it open. Leith told us to wait while he went off to find something. Mary clung close to me. "It's gonna be alright. We'll get up there soon."

That's when we felt the boat tilt.

It was the first time the boat had really moved since it struck the berg some minutes before. I didn't even know how much time had passed. We couldn't have been down here for more than thirty minutes. But when the ship moved, we both stumbled and Mary lost her balance and fell down the stairs.

"Mary!" I shouted and almost lost my own balance while she tumbled down the stairs. As soon as I found my balance I rushed down to her side. "Are you alright?" I asked urgently.

Sitting up, Mary said, "I'm fine."

"Come on, let's get you standing." I took her arms and went to pull her up but as soon as she was on her feet she cried out in pain, bending her right knee to keep the weight off her foot. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing."

I forced her to look at me. "Mary, don't lie to me. Please, tell me what's wrong."

She hesitated but finally answered. "It's my ankle. There was a sharp pain that ran through it when I stood up."

Damn it. We couldn't go to the infirmary because it was closed and everyone was being moved up to the deck. Hell, we couldn't even get out of _here_. I sat Mary down on the ground and examined her ankle. I wasn't a doctor, but I'd seen some broken bones before and knew how to examine for them. It was something I'd picked up along the way, living on the streets with people who had no resources like medicine. "It's not broken," I said. She hissed when I pressed it a little. "I think it's sprained. You're going to have to stay off of it."

"Great," she muttered. "How the hell am I supposed to get out of here if I can't even move?!"

Leith came back. He noticed Mary sitting down and asked, "What happened?"

I explained what happened to him. He'd come back empty handed, and informed us that the people behind the gate said that only women and children were being allowed to pass through when they opened the gates in a few minutes. Of course. Women and children came first. I had to get Mary to a boat. She was injured. "Leith, I'm going to need your help to move her."

He nodded and we both supported her as we went back up the stairs and found a young maid passing by. "Miss!" Leith called, since he was the first to see her.

The young maid stopped. "You're not supposed to be here. You should go back to the main stairwell." She was Irish. Her accent told all.

"Please," I begged. "My fiancée, she's injured. We need to get her to a boat."

"I… I don't have a key," she said.

"_Please_, find someone who does."

She looked uneasy. I could see the conflict in her eyes. She would technically be disobeying orders. But thankfully she said, "Wait here, and _don't_ tell anyone else." We thanked her and watched her run away. Leith and I sat Mary back down. She winced in pain again and grabbed her ankle, but then quickly removed her hands, knowing it only hurt worse when she did that.

"It's gonna be alright, Mary, I promise," I tried to convince her. She nodded, tears forming in her eyes, and attempted a grin.

We waited what seemed like an eternity but eventually the young maid came back. The water was creeping towards us more and more now. "Here," she said and shakily put the key in the lock. Leith and I helped take the chain out and push the door open. We then picked Mary up and supported her through the gate while the maid closed it and locked it again. "Follow me, I'll take you to the deck."

While we were on our way, Mary asked the young woman, "Have the first class passengers been loaded yet?"

"They just finished loading all of the first class women and children," she told us. "And they were letting the third class go up, but women and children only." She led us to a secret stairwell which was difficult to get up with having to support an injured Mary, but eventually we made it out onto the deck. There were so many people around, it was kind of ridiculous.

Before the maid could leave, Mary asked her, "What is your name, Miss?"

"Deirdre," she answered.

"Thank you, Deirdre. I pray you a safe outcome."

"And you all as well," she said before curtsying and leaving us to go back down the stairwell.

Now we were on the deck. Leith and I looked around while trying to keep Mary balanced between us. "We need to get to a boat," Leith said. "It looks like they're all gone."

Mary shook her head. "They have other boats, not just those hanging. They can't all be gone, not yet."

"Let's check around on the other side," I said and we turned to head in that direction. It was a bit of a struggle, trying to get through the frantic crowd. People were already jumping overboard. The ship was titled at a pretty decent angle now, which made it nearly impossible for us to go 'uphill.'

We finally found a boat. The officer was calling for women and children. I knew I had to let her go here.

"Mary," I said. "You have to get in the boat."

She shook her head. "No. I'm not going without you, Bash. I'm not leaving you and Leith here after you carried me up here from third class."

"You have to, Mary, you're _injured_."

Then we heard another voice. "Curious," it said. We both turned to see Francis standing there. "She doesn't look injured. Now, _you_, on the other hand, Mr. Poitiers, are a moment away from being injured yourself."

Leith spoke up. "You will not speak to them that way. Who the hell do you think you are?"

Francis shot a look at Leith. "I'm Francis Valois, Mary's fiancée."

"Not anymore," Mary shot at him. "I will _never_ marry you."

"I figured as much when I found that drawing of you in your chambers, along with a recently slept in bed. Or… well, we shouldn't really call it _sleep_ should we?"

"None of your business," Mary said, angrily. "What I do with Bash is my own concern, not yours. I'm in love with him, and I'm going to be _his_ wife."

He smirked. "That's an awful fast promotion, considering your previous label with him was '_whore_.'"

I wasn't going to stand here and let Francis abuse Mary. "You son of a bitch," I said, though almost gritted teeth. I let go of Mary, and Leith kept her balanced. "How _dare_ you call her that. You call yourself a man? I know how you've forced yourself on top of her. She told me everything. And I'll be damned if I let you touch her again."

Francis was clearly very amused by this. "Bold. But not bold enough. Mary's coming with _me_, Mr. Poitiers. And Hugo, here," he said, gesturing to his bodyguard standing off to the side a bit through the crowd of people trying to get into the boat, "will make sure you're taken care of."

When he went to grab Mary, I punched him in the face. Francis stumbled back and bit and Hugo stepped forward, but Francis held his hand out to stop him. "I'll take care of this myself, Hugo," he said. That's when he swung for me and instead of hitting me, since I was smart enough to duck, he hit someone else, knocking them into the crowd and causing a domino effect. People were being pushed forward.

Then a gunshot went off.

...

A/N: Chapter 11 coming soon! Send me some love! xo


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11.** – I WATCHED THE WORLD FLOAT TO THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

_- MARY -_

I screamed.

The gunshot was unexpected. It sounded like I came from beside and behind me, but I didn't know. The next thing I knew, I was falling over. Bash caught me in his arms and once I was steadied we noticed that Leith had been shot in the shoulder. "Leith!" Bash called and we both went over to him. "Are you alright?"

Leith cried out in pain. "Bloody hell!" he cursed.

I ripped off part of the bottom of my dress and knelt down to bandage him up. "We have to stop the bleeding."

"How do you plan to do that?" Leith asked.

Bash seemed to have an idea. "Wait here."

I looked over to the side. Francis was standing there in shock. I had no idea why, but he wasn't moving. He just stood there, his eyes wide. I remained on my knees and tried to keep as much pressure on Leith's shoulder as I could. The ship titled more and we were getting dangerously angled. Any further and we would start sliding down the deck.

Within minutes Bash came back with a sponge. "Where did you get that?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it," he said and bent down. I loosened the piece of cloth I'd used to tend to Leith's wound earlier, and Bash put the sponge in place. I wrapped the cloth back around it and had to tear more off of my dress to help secure it.

"There," I said. Leith couldn't move his shoulder. The bullet had gone right through, which we discovered upon examining earlier, but that was a good thing since we wouldn't have to get it out. It wasn't a good thing that he got _shot_ but regardless… he'd survive if we had anything to say about it.

I tried standing up on my own. The pain in my ankle was less than when the fall had first happened and I could walk on my own again. I turned around. Francis was gone. I looked around for him. Then… I saw where he was. He was on the boat that was being lowered.

_- BASH -_

That son of a bitch. He'd taken Mary's spot on the boat. No one was stopping him. He was clearly a man and they were still only allowing women and children. I had to assume he paid off the officer loading the boat. That was the only explanation. I put a hand on Mary's shoulder. "It's gonna be alright. We'll find a boat."

We went down to the other end but the ship was sinking dangerously now. So we made the decision to turn around and head in the other direction—head for the stern and get as far to the top as possible. That's when the panicking truly set in. The ship was being sucked down more and more each second. We had to fight through a mob of people to get to the top and make sure Leith's shoulder was protected. But eventually, we made it. Leith grabbed on to the railing with his good arm and held tight while Mary clung to me as I held on.

There were several other people around the railing. One was a woman, holding a crying boy, telling him, "It will all be over soon." I could see the look on Mary's face and how she was affected by that. She was terrified. That little boy might die. Or he could lose his mother. Half of the people on this ship would die. Some already had. There were dozens, no—_hundreds _of people jumping off of the ship. Some were falling to their deaths. Some were struggling in the water. I closed my eyes and tried not to think about this. I wanted to be anywhere but here… _anywhere_ but here.

"Bash," Mary said, getting my attention. "This is where we first met."

It was. How ironic that this was the place we end up on Doomsday. I kissed her head and held her closer.

And then… the ship snapped in two.

_- MARY -_

I thought I might have a panic attack. The ship snapped straight down the center and we went flying back down level. I clung to Bash as tightly as I could and screamed. I wasn't the only one.

As we started to go back up, Bash said, "Come on, come over the railing." He helped me and then we both went to help Leith. He could barely come over the railing.

He didn't make it.

We tried with all of the strength we had to pull Leith up after he slipped, and he dangled there for a few moments. He was in an enormous amount of pain. "Just let me go," he begged. "I'll be alright."

"No!" Bash shouted. "I'm not letting go of you!"

"Leith, please," I begged, "try to pull yourself up."

He shook his head. "I can't. I—I'm sorry."

That's when he let go.

"NO!" Bash shouted and we watched Leith fall down and hit one of the benches, tumbling and falling further until we couldn't see him.

Tears sprung to my eyes. I choked on nothing but air. Leith had sacrificed himself, knowing somehow that he wasn't going to make it. My heart felt like it might explode. It was the last thing I was expecting.

I looked over at Bash who put his hand over mine. "We have to survive. For him."

I nodded.

The ship was being sucked down now. There was no stopping the inevitable. "Take a deep breath when I say so. The ship will suck you down. Kick for the surface and do _not_ let go of my hand. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I said as we inched closer and closer with each passing moment.

"Ready?" We were just about to hit the water. "NOW!"

I took a deep breath… and soon I was being sucked underwater.

...

A/N: By my estimate, two-maybe _three_-more chapters until we're done! Chapter 12 coming soon! Send me some love! -heart-


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12.** – IN THE WATER, IN THE OCEAN ALL ALONE

_- MARY -_

The piercing cold of the water struck me instantly, like a thousand needles all over my body. I felt like I couldn't breathe; like I couldn't think. Bash was right. It was the worst sensation I'd ever felt in my life. It was so horrible, I almost forgot to fight my way to the surface. As hard as it was, I kept my eyes open, holding on to Bash's hand while we were under the water. The liquid around us kept trying to pull us apart.

And eventually… it did.

I kicked my way to the surface after the panic I had underwater when I let go of Bash's hand unintentionally. When I came up and gasped for breath, I tried to calm down but the screams of those around me weren't helping. Everyone was in a panic. So was I. "BASH?!" I screamed. "_BASH?!_"

Suddenly, someone pushed me under the water. I struggled to come back up, but eventually I found the strength to punch the guy in the genitals and he let go of me. When I came back to the surface, I caught my breath again and screamed, "_BAAAAAAASH!_"

I couldn't find him.

Panic started to come over me. Here I was, trying to stay afloat in the water and screaming for the man I loved. I should have never let go of his hand. Granted, it was an accident, but I never should have let it happen. I should have held on tighter.

"Mary?!" I heard. The voice was female. I turned around. I saw Deirdre, the maid who'd helped us.

"Deirdre?! You're alive?! But… how do you know my name?"

As she struggled to stay afloat, she answered, "I—…I served your—…your mother." I caught her to try and keep her above the water… or at least her neck and face. "What happened to your fiancé?"

Tears started pouring out of my eyes in my panicked state. "I can't find him. I lost him when we went under."

"It will be alright, Mary."

A thousand voices were shouting out, screaming for the boats to come back. Officers that had gone down blew their whistles to indicate the boats should return. "Come on," I told Deirdre. "We need to get to the edge."

So we started swimming out that way. It was difficult with the temperature of the water, plus the layers of clothing we wore. I found two doors that were afloat in the water, and I helped Deirdre onto one before getting on the other. We were both above the water now, and we held onto each other's hands. We were shivering still but I figured it was better than being directly in the water.

All we had to do now… was wait. Wait to live. Wait to die. Wait for an absolution… that may never come.

.

I had no idea how much time passed. I wanted to fall asleep. I was so tired and cold and I could barely think as I laid there on the floating door, holding Deirdre's hands as she floated on the other. We tried to keep each other awake in the beginning by talking about our lives. She was from just outside of Dublin, and had lived in Manchester, England for awhile but her husband was in New York City. She was supposed to be moving there to live with him. The only way she could afford to do it was by working on the Titanic during its maiden voyage.

Look where _that_ got her.

Soon it was quiet. Too quiet. I was alarmed by how quiet it was. Sure, it was peaceful after the hours of chaos but… it had me worried. People were dying. I knew it. They had to be freezing to death. And where was Bash? Was he dead too? I wanted to cry. But I had to stay strong. I had to believe he was alive.

I was ready to drift off. The weakened state of my body took over. I wanted to sleep. I wanted to sleep forever.

Then… there was a light. A bright light that shined above me. And the sound of a faint voice from far away. I sat up as best as I could and looked to see a boat had come back. I had almost given up hope that they weren't coming. It had been too long. Why had they waited so long?

Honestly I didn't care now. One was here now. And they were calling for anyone that was out there. "Deirdre," I said, turning to look at her. "Deirdre, wake up." I shook her. She looked up, slowly, almost as if she were barely functioning. "Deirdre, there's a boat."

It took a few minutes with our dry, hoarse voices but we got the attention of the boat. They came to get us and immediately wrapped us in blankets, giving us room to lie down on the benches. There was only one other person in the boat they'd gotten from the water. An older man. We picked three other people up. None of them were Bash. I tried to keep my tears at bay. He couldn't be dead. If he was dead, I would know it. I could feel him. He was still alive.

.

I didn't remember drifting off to sleep. But when I woke up, we were approaching the Carpathia, the ship that had come to our aid. I was helped up onto the deck with Deirdre right behind me. We were wrapped in new blankets and given the hottest, freshest tea onboard. The lower deck was being used for steerage, the upper deck for first class. I stayed with Deirdre in steerage.

While we sat together, trying to huddle together for warmth, I happened to look over and see my mother and Francis looking around. I looked away, hoping they hadn't seen me.

Thankfully they didn't. When I looked back, they were gone.

I started to cry after a few minutes. Deirdre looked at me. "Mary, it's alright."

I shook my head. "No. No it's not. Bash… he's dead."

"We don't know that," she tried to reassure me. "Maybe he was picked up by another boat that's still out there."

Still shaking my head, I said, "No. No he would be here. He's dead." I didn't want to believe it. Even though I could feel him still, maybe I was just fooling myself. Maybe I was telling myself that Bash was alive to make myself feel better.

Deirdre wrapped her arms around me. "Shhh." She let me sob against her shoulder and rubbed my bicep. I felt like I was dying inside. If I couldn't be with Bash, I wanted to jump off the back of this ship and drown in the water…just like I originally planned a few days before when Bash stopped me. I'd barely gotten a chance to know him or have an adventure with him… and he was dead.

Just then, an officer came up to us. "Mary Poitiers?"

I looked up. "E-excuse me?"

"Are you Mary Poitiers?"

Mary Poitiers? Poitiers was Bash's last name. But not mine. I was confused. How would anyone know to call me that or… call me that in the _first_ place? "Y-yes?" I said, unsure of how I should respond.

"I found someone who's asking for you." He stepped aside and held out his arm in the direction he'd come from. I looked up.

I couldn't believe it.

...

A/N: Chapter 13 coming soon! Send me some luv! -heart-


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13.** – WATER'S GETTING HARDER TO TREAD

_-BASH -_

There was only one other time in my life that I'd felt this sensation. It was during that winter in Michigan when I fell through the ice on Lake Huron. That had been the worst feeling I ever had in my life…

Until now.

I struggled. There was no other way to describe it. I struggled to hold my breath and keep myself, and Mary, from being sucked down. But instead of being sucked down, at one point we were being sucked _apart_. Being it hard to breathe and to think, I barely had time to react when my hand slipped out of Mary's. I struggled to get back to her, but I couldn't, and eventually I floated all the way up to the surface. I gasped for air as soon as I hit the top and my heart didn't feel like it was going to burst out of my chest.

Once I'd found my strength, for the most part, I remembered I needed to find Mary. So I started swimming around and calling her name. "MARY? MARY?!"

I did this for minutes… I didn't know how many, but I kept getting pushed farther away from where I had come up. The screams of those around me, and the whistles being blown by the officers to signal the boats, didn't help any. My head hurt. It was too cold to think straight. I tried to keep my focus on finding Mary but I felt like I was getting dizzy. I wanted to pass out. I didn't have energy anymore. Between supporting Mary and Leith on the boat with their injuries, plus the physical labor of swimming up to the surface and keeping myself afloat now was straining me.

For a brief moment, I considered whether or not I had enough energy to swim out to one of the boats. I didn't think I did. But I had to try. So I went back under the water for a brief moment, despite how terrible it felt against my skin, and then came back up before I used all of the strength and will in me to swim as far as I could.

I had to stop not even a minute later. I was exhausted. Everything hurt. Everything was too frozen to function properly. I was shivering and thinking well enough to get my limbs to work took effort I didn't have in me. My breathing became labored. I was pretty sure I was minutes away from having a heart attack. I was going to die of a heart attack, and then my body would freeze in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

This wasn't how I would have chosen to die, but I didn't have a choice in the matter.

Suddenly, I felt myself sinking into the water. I couldn't hold my breath. I couldn't even breathe. I was dying. Right here… right now.

.

I woke to a bright light shining in my face. I blinked a few times to make out the picture in front of me. There was a boat. It was several yards away in the water, but it was there. It was pitch black outside and if not for that light, I'd never be able to see the boat. Was I alive? I didn't feel like I was dead… or… not completely anyway.

Near me was a dead officer that had a whistle in his mouth. I used all of my energy to swim over and blow it, getting the attention of the folks in the boat, who turned to come get me. They helped me out of the water and wrapped me in a blanket, and I passed out near the back of the boat while they continued their search. I heard them pull another person out, but that was the last I heard… until I was being woken up when we arrived at the Carpathia.

I was the last survivor off the boat. I was still frozen and exhausted. There were hundreds of our passengers on the Carpathia—first class on the upper deck; steerage on the lower. I was given a hot cup of tea and I was shaking so bad I nearly spilled it on me. But with the help of a maid from the ship, I was able to get it inside me and it helped to start warm me up.

When I was coherent enough to talk, I pulled an officer aside. "Excuse me, sir," I said, putting a hand on his arm as he was passing.

He stopped and turned. "Yes, sir?"

"I uh… I was wondering if you could find out if someone is on board for me."

"Of course, sir. What's the name?"

I started to say, "Mary Gui—" but then I stopped. Mary Guise-Stuart was the spoiled rich girl I met aboard the Titanic. She was the miserable woman who tried to kill herself by jumping off the back of the ship. That wasn't the Mary that went into the ocean when the Titanic sank. So… I corrected myself. "Mary Poitiers. I'm her husband… Sebastian."

The officer nodded and asked me to go with him. He started asking around while I walked slowly behind him, taking in the sad scene around me. I held the mug of tea, which was nearly gone, in both of my hands while a blanket was wrapped around my shoulders and miraculously staying put. The sea of distraught faces killed me inside. They would haunt me for the rest of my life.

"Mr. Poitiers?" I heard a moment later, snapping me out of my thoughts.

It was the officer, getting my attention, gesturing in my direction as he stood in front of two young women who were wrapped from head to toe in blankets. They both looked over at me… but I only saw one of them. The young, black haired, brown eyed woman I'd fallen in love with just a few days before. The one I saved from certain death—maybe not just once, but twice.

I smiled brightly. I saw her drop the mug of tea she was holding and it did nothing but hit the floor and roll away from her until the handle stopped it. My heart began to race. For the first time in hours, I felt like I was alive. I ran in her direction as she stood up, and handed my mug to the officer on the way.

Then, she was in my arms. She was really there.

"Oh, Mary," I said.

She pulled away but then pulled me back and our lips met. A jolt of energy went through me as soon as they did. I never wanted to be out of her sight again. She was the only thing I needed to be happy.

"How did you survive?" she asked, tears filling her eyes when we broke the kiss.

I shook my head. "I don't even know. The last thing I remember was sinking under the water and… next thing I know there was a light shining in my face." I was crying too. I couldn't control myself.

"Wa—you were on the boat too? But… but there were six of us." She seemed surprised. And honestly… _I_ was too.

"I… I was passed out in… in the back, I… Mary, if I had known you were on that boat—"

She shook her head. "No no," she said. "it's okay, I—I don't care. I'm just happy you're alive."

I smiled. She did too. I pulled her back in and we kissed again. I wrapped my arms around her back and picked her up, spinning her around once.

It was the beginning of our beautiful life together…

...

A/N: Chapter 14, which should be the final chapter, is coming soon! Leave me some love! xo


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14. (EPILOGUE)** – SOMEDAY

_-MARY -_

"He saved me… in every way a person can be saved."

I looked up, tears in my eyes, and squeezed the hand of the dying man in the bed right next to me. The only thing keeping him alive was the ventilators. A hundred and three years old. He'd survived so much… it was time he went.

"Nana," a voice said. I looked to see my granddaughter, Catherine, as she put a hand on my shoulders. "It's time."

My eyes wandered around the room. The first faces I focused on were that of our children. Our son, James, who was the oldest. Then our two daughters, Isabella and Diana, respectfully. Then their spouses: James' wife, Maria; Isabella's husband, George; and Diana's husband, Hank. Then our grandchildren. Catherine, who was James and Maria's daughter. Charlie, Mitchell, and Claire, who were Issy and George's children. Then Thomas and Andrew, Diana and Hank's boys. Finally, our great-grandchildren. Trista, Catherine's daughter; and Hilary, Thomas' daughter.

All of them had sat in this room, never once getting up to leave, and listened to me as I read the journals we'd written after our experience aboard the Titanic. The minute we arrived in New York, we applied for a marriage license and I became Mary Poitiers for real. Immediately after, I got pregnant with James. Within the next four years, we had Issy and Di. He eventually found a job in Michigan at an automotive plant. It was never what he truly wanted to do, but he still stuck to his passion and drew until he could no longer hold a pencil.

We had been through so many milestones together. We had seen decades come and go. We had been to hell and back. But none of that mattered because we had each other the entire time. This was the moment I'd been dreading my entire life. I knew it was inevitable, and I knew I would rather it be now than eighty-four years ago when the Titanic sank.

The doctor came in. "Mrs. Poitiers?" she asked. "Are you ready?"

Though the tears in my eyes didn't stop flowing, I nodded. "Yes. Just… one more minute." The doctor nodded and stepped back. I looked back over at him and grabbed my walker, slowly rising to my feet. The others were ready to catch me if I fell, but I was stable on my own. It was just one step and I leaned over. The sound of the monitors and the machine that kept him breathing would be quiet soon. All but one… the heart monitor. I knew it could take minutes or hours. But I wanted him to go quickly and peacefully.

I leaned down slowly, the only way I could move nowadays, and kissed his forehead. I put a hand on the top of his white haired head, and my lips formed a sad smile as I pulled away. "I love you, Sebastian Poitiers. And I will _never_ let go." I shuddered as more tears came rushing down my old, wrinkled face, and added, "I'll see you on the other side."

Issy's hands were on my shoulders now. She helped me stand up straight while the doctor went over to the monitors. She started shutting them off. I looked around at my family. All of their eyes were filling with tears. On the other side of the bed, James was holding his father's hand. I knew our boy wasn't ready to say goodbye to him, but I'd tried to help him make peace with it. I tried to help them all.

But I didn't try to help myself.

I'd been preparing for this since the day we left New York. And I never thought that now, in the year nineteen ninety-six, as we sat here at Genesis Hospital in Flint, Michigan, that I would watch him go. The only thing that gave me relief was knowing he wasn't the one in my shoes. I wouldn't want him to have to watch _me_ go.

I would see him again. One day.

Soon… the monitors flatlined. My Bash was gone.

.

Two months had come and gone since Bash died. I was surrounded by family, but I didn't want to see anyone. I only wanted my husband. He was gone. I prayed every night to God that he would take me and reunite me with my beloved Bash, but it seemed as though it wasn't my time.

On the night of April fourteenth, I went to bed after spending hours looking at our old pictures. Whether framed or collected in albums or scrapbooks, I treasured each memory with my love. He was everything I ever wanted. I'd wanted to be free. He gave me that freedom.

I drifted off to sleep slowly. It was late. Near midnight. I slept light. It felt as though I was getting lighter and lighter with each passing minute. And then… I felt like I was floating. I opened my eyes and looked around. There, below me, was my sleeping body. It was three o'clock in the morning, April fifteenth. I looked at my hands. They were as if I were young again. I floated, uncontrollably, towards the wall, and on the way I passed a mirror. I was eighteen again, not a hundred and one.

My 'heart' was racing. My uncontrolled floating took me faster and faster, through the wall of our home and outside, across the United States to the Atlantic Ocean. I knew where I was headed.

It's resting place.

My body fell slowly under the water. I didn't feel like I was drowning. I didn't feel cold. I felt good. I felt alive. And as I fell miles deeper into the ocean, I saw it. For the first time in almost a century, there she was. Titanic.

I was guided into the ship and my feet fell flat on the deck. It was as if I was back on the ship. It didn't look like it had been underwater for nearly a century. I looked like it had the day I first laid eyes on it in person. Suddenly the water around me was gone. We were out on the open ocean. I looked down at my clothes. I was suddenly dressed in the gown I'd been wear the day we first met.

I looked to the stern and saw a figure standing there with his back to me. I knew that figure. A smile crossed my face. He was wearing his garb from the same day. And I didn't even have to say anything when he turned around and smiled at me. "Hello, Mary."

I stepped closer. "Hello, Bash."

He held out his hand. I stepped forward and took it. "Don't let go," he said.

I squeezed it. "Never."

...

A/N: And there you have it! I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I have another story already in the works that I hope to have up some time soon, so be sure to add me to your favorite authors/be on the look out for the next fic. If you haven't already, go read _Into the Fire_, my first Mash AU. And yes, the next fic is another AU. I'm an AU whore. Thanks for taking this ride with me everyone! I'll see you all in the next fic! ;] xoxo -heart-


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